Author's Notes: Woo hoo! I got five reviews on the last chapter! So here's the next one. Author notes at the end so we can get right to the good stuff! I hope the rating is still R, I think I got a little graphic…let me know if it's too much. :-) I don't want to get kicked off so complain to me first and I'll tone it down. :-)

Chapter 26 – Talk, then Sex

Remus was noticing all sorts of things about his mate, things that were usual but suddenly, after the conversations with Dumbledore, Tabby and Stevens, had new meaning to him. Cassius was touching him in some way almost constantly: nudging his arm as they sat and ate breakfast, stroking his hand or arm whenever he was in reach, rubbing his back as he walked by when Remus was playing the piano, curling up next to him as Remus read, searching out Remus' heartbeat with his hand as they lay in bed at night. Remus also noticed Cassius followed him from room to room. Cassius wouldn't let him out of his sight for more than a few minutes at a time, usually under the pretense of having to ask something or needing something. These were all things Cassius normally did, but Remus only now fully understood why. He felt safe around Remus.

"What're you doing?" Cassius walked into their library.

"Still grading essays." Remus looked up in the middle of the scroll he'd been reading. Cassius hadn't been in to see him for over an hour.

"Oh." Cassius leaned up against the wall next to the door.

"What've you been up to?" He rubbed the back of his neck. He really needed to rethink the required length of the essays he assigned, and how often he assigned them.

"Helping Tabby bake for tomorrow." Tabby baked all sorts of good things for their feast on Christmas Day.

"She actually let you help?" Remus was surprised, Tabby was very territorial about her kitchen.

"Uh huh, she lets me help sometimes. Don't look so shocked." Cassius said defensively.

"Sorry. So, what are you doing up here?"

"She…she kicked me out."

Remus had to bite down hard on his lip to keep from laughing. "Come here," Remus beckoned his mate closer, Cassius slowly walked over to his chair. Remus pulled him down on to his lap. He gazed at Cassius for a moment.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just looking at you."

"If you tell me I look tired, I'll hex you." Cassius scowled.

"You don't look tired, even though you woke up twice last night with that nightmare. Cass -"

Cassius picked up one of the papers on Remus's desk. "You made them write an essay about hinkypunks?"

"Some of them are dreadful. I don't think they listen to a word I say in class. And then there's a girl, Hermione Granger, she always seems to write triple what I assign."

"Is she a Ravenclaw?"

"No, Gryffindor. She's one of Harry's friends. Cass -"

"You've gotten to know Harry pretty well this term." Cassius set the paper down and slipped his hand under Remus's sweater.

"Yes, I have. He looks so much like James…but he's really very different…quiet, thoughtful…haunted. He's seen too much pain for someone so young."

"Like you were when you were in school."

"I…I hadn't thought about it like that." Remus rubbed Cassius's back. "Cassius –"

"I don't want to talk about the nightmare, Remus."

"Yes, all right, I just thought I'd give it three tries before giving up. Do you not want to talk about it to me? Or just not talk about it in general."

"In general. It doesn't go away when I talk about it. Stevens and I tried that when it started, it just made me think about it more and I don't want to think about it."

"All right."

"It is better when you're here…because…I'm not so afraid as when I'm alone. When Stevens is with me I'm not so afraid either because I know he'll protect me but…I'm even more not afraid when you're here. Does that make sense?"

"Yes." Remus put his hands around Cassius' face and licked the corner of Cassius' mouth where there was a bit of chocolate frosting. He heard a short gasp from Cassius before covering Cassius's mouth with his own and twining their tongues together. "Mmm…you taste good. I've wanted to do that since you walked in, but I wanted to talk to you first." Remus smiled at his mate. Cassius' eyes were glazed over with desire. "I really need to finish these." Remus said in a stern tone.

"Tease. Can't you do them later?" Cassius pressed their foreheads together.

"I suppose. Your desk, then?" Remus smiled slyly. His grin got wider as Cassius' eyes grew round with surprise.

"Tabby's downstairs." Cassius whispered.

"Well, I was going to use a silencing spell." Remus said casually.

"You mean it?" It suddenly occurred to Remus he didn't think he had ever heard Cassius use the word 'serious.' He wondered if that was deliberate because he didn't like Sirius or if the family had just never used it since it was so close to Sirius's name.

"About the silencing spell?" Remus asked, teasingly.

"No, about having sex on my desk right now."

"Yes. And this time, I'm on top." After another searing kiss, Remus pushed Cassius towards the other desk in the room. Cassius quickly swept the books off his desk on to the floor while Remus went to the door. "Tabby, we won't be down for tea!" He heard her answer and closed the door. He put a silencing spell on the room. When he turned around, Cassius was pulling off his shirt.

Remus quickly pulled off his clothing, grateful for the heat from the blazing fire in the library because it was a cold December day. It was already dusk outside, so the room was lit only by the lamp on Remus' desk and the firelight. By the time he was over at Cassius' desk, Cassius was naked and sitting on the desk, his long legs swinging nonchalantly as he slowly looked his mate up and down. Remus gazed at him a moment, debating his plan. He stroked Cassius' muscular thigh for a moment, then pulled Cassius in for another kiss. "Lie back," he said firmly. Cassius lay down, moving his legs so his feet were resting on his chair, surrounding Remus.

Remus looked over at his desk for his wand, suddenly realizing he needed it and it wasn't there. "Bugger." He muttered.

"What?" Cassius leaned up on his elbows, looking questioningly at Remus.

"I must have left my wand in the downstairs hall."

"What do you need your wand for?" Cassius ached an eyebrow.

"Umm…" Remus took a deep breath, willing his face not to flush. He was 33 years old, mated for eight years, not some blushing virgin, he could do this, he was a Marauder, for Merlin's sake. "Lubricant," he said, trying, and succeeding, to sound cool. He took a moment to congratulate himself.

"Where do you want it?" Cassius asked politely.

"Inside you." Remus' voice was husky with desire as his hand traced over Cassius' hard stomach muscles, watching them clench as his fingers found the ticklish spot under Cassius's ribs. Cassius murmured the required charm. Remus was thankful Cassius could do wandless magic, otherwise his spontaneous plan would have been ruined. "I love you." Remus placed his hands on either side of Cassius, bending over to kiss his mate. Cassius's hands tangled in Remus's hair. He nuzzled Cassius' neck, licking over the bite mark. He kissed Cassius' neck one more time before straightening up. He grabbed Cassius's hips firmly and slid into him. Cassius gave a strangled gasp as their bodies joined. His long fingers curled around Remus's upper arms as his legs hooked around Remus' hips, trying to pull him even closer.

"Please," Cassius moaned. Remus could feel the waves of energy flow off his mate combining with their desire. Cassius was babbling a stream of words, Remus could only make out some of them: more, Remus, please, love, harder. He reached one hand up, tracing it over the bite mark on Cassius's shoulder. Cassius's fingers clenched, pressing into Remus's flesh.

"I love you, Cassius." Cassius convulsed, bringing them both over the edge. Remus pulled Cassius into his arms and half-carried, half dragged him over to the chair in front of the fire. He pushed Cassius down and snuggled onto his lap, feeling warm and content.

"You'll be the healthiest werewolf Hogwarts has ever seen." Cassius murmured, trailing his long fingers down Remus' arm.

"I'm sorry." Remus wasn't sorry at all as he walked his hand up Cassius's bare chest to pull at the gold ring.

"We just won't owl – that way they can't track anything. How's that?" Cassius tightened his arms around Remus.

Remus lifted his head, looking at his mate. "What about we still owl and not worry if 'they' track us."

"Well…."

"Please? I'll shag you again if you agree."

"What will you do if I promise to write every day?" Cassius arched an eyebrow seductively.

Author's Notes: I feel like a bad, bad author. I got several well deserved comments that Remus really should have known all this stuff about Cassius years ago. I know, I know. I really hadn't thought the whole character/story line out when I started my first story – hence there's a big scene that takes place during OOTP (in chapter 4 of Old and New Relations) with lots of Sirius angst and heavy implication that Cassius and Remus have never really talked about Remus and Sirius's relationship. And now, as I have written this story, I realize that that wouldn't have happened. Then, I didn't realize just how long Cassius and Remus had been together when Remus finds out the truth about Cassius's memory problem. Bad storytelling on my part. 8 years of marriage is a long time not to know some big things about one's partner. So…bad me (hits self with hardcover of OOTP – Ow!). But…here's my rationalization: 1) as the author, I think that had Remus known the truth, he wouldn't have left Cassius to go to Hogwarts and he had to go to Hogwarts because it's in the book and I am trying to be as true to the book as possible while inserting my own original character. 2) Sometimes, we do keep things about ourselves to ourselves even in a relationship because it's painful, or we think it's not relevant to who we are anymore. So….I hope that makes sense, or at least, doesn't reflect too badly on poor Remus for being in the dark and not questioning so many things. :-)

Thanks to AffectedMangoO, Meike, MJLuvsPolar, Tica and Mon2 for their reviews!!! Keep them coming! I love them!!!

Next Chapter: Opening Christmas Presents.